1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic apparatus that can transmit/receive image data and audio data, an image pickup apparatus such as a video camera, a portable communication apparatus including an image pickup unit, and an image display control method and a program therefor, all of which are appropriate for the implementation of a TV telephone function.
2. Related Background Art
Portable communication terminals on which cameras are mounted have recently been provided. Communication terminals of this are employed for the transmission to friends of e-mails including static images obtained by the cameras, or for images for the standby screens of the liquid crystal displays of the terminals.
Also proposed is a camera that employs a built-in communication function for providing data communication with the outside. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of this type of camera, a video camera 301. The video camera 301 comprises: a lens 303, a liquid crystal display panel 304, on which is displayed an image obtained by the lens 303, a photographing/recording trigger button 305, a battery 306, an electronic viewfinder 307, a data communication unit 308, by which a radio communication function relative to an external system is implemented, and various manipulation units 309.
When a portable communication terminal having a built-in camera or video camera that can communicate with the outside is employed, a so-called TV telephone function for exchanging image data and audio data can be provided. In this case, the image of a user can be obtained by the built-in camera for portable communication terminal or by the video camera, and the data for the photograph can be transmitted to a communication partner, or an image received from the communication partner can be displayed either on the liquid crystal display of the portable communication terminal or on the liquid crystal display of the video camera.
However, when the TV telephone function is carried out by using the portable communication terminal or the video camera, the employability thus provided is not fully satisfactory. For example, when the TV telephone function is implemented by using the video camera 301 during a telephone call, merely an image received from the communication partner is displayed on the liquid crystal display panel 304. This configuration is satisfactory only when the user is photographed by the fixed video camera, and the obtained image is transmitted to the communication partner. However, when the image of a scene around the user or of surrounding persons is to be transmitted to the communication partner, the liquid crystal display panel 304 can not be employed for the adjustment and the framing of a photograph.